Sunday 22 November 2020

The elusive Nuthatch appeared in an oak tree in the big bramble patch near the southwest corner of the leaf yard.


The sunny day started a Song Thrush singing on Buck Hill.


A single Redwing showed indistinctly in the holly tree at the southwest corner of the bridge, and Ahmet Amerikali got a picture of it.


He photographed a Long-Tailed Tit in the same tree.


There were also several Jays ...


... and a Robin here.


Feral Pigeons enjoyed some orange lentils put out beside the Serpentine.


A Rose-Ringed Parakeet perched in a wild service tree in the Rose Garden.


The fallen black poplar tree in the Long Water is a favourite rendezvous for Black-Headed Gulls. They were being annoyed by a Carrion Crow. A little group of Cormorants stood at water level.


A Moorhen enjoyed a shower on one of the fountains in the Italian Garden. The fountain heads are made of white Carrara marble, but it has been irretrievably stained yellow by rust in the iron pipework.


The Gadwalls on the lake are usually peaceful and well behaved ducks, unlike the sex-mad Mallards. And usually they go around in pairs, because there are nest boxes in the gardens of Buckingham Palace which protect the females from predators, so sex ratios are almost equal. But today there were several drakes and only one female, which started the drakes chasing her much as Mallard drakes do.


Ahmet found them behaving even more irresponsibly.


The dominant male Mute Swan on the Round Pond had a mighty flap.


I went to the Round Pond to check on the Black Swan, who is still there.


It was getting on for sunset. An airliner passed under the moon.


Today the Diana memorial fountain was full of people enjoying themselves, after having been closed for months during the current panic. Since the intention of the authorities has been to cause the maximum of misery, I'm sure that this was a mistake caused by someone leaving the gate unlocked.


The pigeon-eating Lesser Black-Backed Gull, driven from his usual place, was on the deserted platform of Bluebird Boats.


And that brings us to a serious matter. Bluebird Boats has been forcibly closed by the park authorities, although it was a means of people taking exercise as permitted by the current draconian regulations, and although every possible hygienic precaution was being taken. And Peter Scott, the owner, tells me that they plan to keep it closed for at least the rest of next year and probably for ever, putting him out of business.

There has been a boat hire service on the lake all my long life, endangering no one then or now, and to close it arbitrarily is a shameful injustice. Peter Scott has a petition at the boathouse which you can sign. I have suggested to him that he starts an online poll or petition on the Bluebird Boats web site, so please look at this in a couple of days. You can also email the manager of Hyde Park directly telling him what you think about his decision.

4 comments:

  1. That is horrid news. This is outrageous injustice. I don't know what force my signature can carry, as a foreigner, but I shall certainly be giving the manager of Hyde Park my opinion. Aside from the petition, is there a way to make donations to Bluebird Boats?

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    1. I don't think there is. This is a business, carried on in the normal commercial way -- just the kind of small business that the authorities are attacking. Ironically, Royal Parks is a registered charity and solicits donations.

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  2. Gasp! The manager will have my email as well.

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